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Do a Mitzvah on Nov. 11: Find Project Right For You!

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Volunteers at Project Paws Up will help make their shelter stays warmer and drier while they await adoption.

In Center City and on the Main Line, Mitzvah Mania is quite literally going to the dogs. Homeless dogs and feral cats will be the beneficiaries of two family-friendly projects during Federation’s fifth annual day of community service on Sunday, Nov. 11, which will give volunteers of all ages an opportunity to enhance the quality of life for canine and feline friends.

Bryna Donnelly, treasurer for Animal Lifeline, Federation’s partner in what is dubbed Project Paws Up, says that volunteers will help to insulate boxes to keep feral cats warm and dry during the cold winter months. “The boxes will be distributed to our network of volunteers who spay and neuter these cats to keep the population in check,” she said.

In addition to the boxes, volunteers will decorate ping pong balls with sharpies, then wrap them with fleece to create toys to keep the cats entertained and challenged. Donnelly explains that ping pong balls “are the perfect size and shape for curious cats.”

Volunteers will also create dog beds out of plastic PVC piping that will create a sleeping space for shelter dogs who would otherwise lie down on cold, concrete floors. Toy-making is also on the agenda for Paws Up volunteers, who are asked to purchase a Kong plastic toy to stimulate the animals and prevent boredom while they await adoption. The Kong toys, which are virtually indestructible, will be stuffed with treats by Animal Lifeline volunteers and then donated to several local animal shelters.

“Don’t miss the opportunity to give these animals a better life and while you are there, we will educate you on dog bite prevention, PA dog laws, pet nutrition, rabies awareness, spay/neuter, keeping pets safe in a disaster and choosing the best rescue pet for you,” Donnelly says.

A Sweet Way to Support Mitzvah Mania

It is absolutely kosher and definitely delicious to eat donuts this fall, as long as they are made by Krispy Kreme. Between now and Nov. 8, you can purchase dozens of these sweet treats online at the company’s website and Krispy Kreme will donate 50 percent of sales proceeds to the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia in support of Mitzvah Mania!

It has never been this easy (and delicious) to transform communities and change lives for the better.

Do a Mitzvah to Help Beautify Our Community

Two hundred volunteers are needed to get their hands dirty in the Lotus Garden, an urban oasis in the Cobbs Creek section of Fairmount Park. Volunteers ages 10 and older can clean up and enhance the trails, install hydrangeas, asters and other native ferns and flowers in partnership with staff from Fairmount Park’s Conservancy program. This project connects the upper and lower Cobbs Creek trail system to the local community.

This family-friendly Mitzvah Mania activity will be conducted in two shifts of 100 volunteers each. Sign up for either the 9 a.m. to noon or 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. shifts online at jewishphilly.org/mitzvahmania or call the Mitzvah Mania hotline at 215-832-0557.

Get the Jump on the Flu Season During Mitzvah Mania

The flu season is upon us and November is the perfect time to get inoculated. During Mitzvah Mania, 500 adults of all ages will receive free flu shots and lunch at the Klein JCC in Northeast Phila­delphia, courtesy of the Einstein Healthcare Network.

This special Mitzvah Mania immunization project is being offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

While you wait, enjoy a presentation of “Move Over Dr. Oz,” hosted by Federation’s Health Care Affinity Network. You’ll learn basic armchair aerobic exercises, receive some valuable nutritional tips and get some of your basic medical questions answered, too — all while enjoying a musical program in English, Yiddish and Hebrew. Blood pressure screenings will also be available and all participants will receive a gift bag to take home.